ronfin
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2012
- Messages
- 883
This is most likely "common knowledge" among the seasoned detectorists on [here], but I thought I'd provide it for those that are either new to the hobby, or maybe missed these themselves.
I've been concentrating my hunts to a nearby park. I've mentioned it many times in some of my other posts. The park is very historic, and there were a few things I've experienced that I wanted to share.
1) A little research goes a LONG way. Before you go to the place you plan to hunt, like a park for example, visit [THIS SITE] and view the area on an aerial photo. This site gives you the ability to see a current aerial map, and then simultaneously view one taken decades ago with the slider feature. Here you can look for old structures, Baseball fields, ponds (since kids LOVE to throw money into water), and walk paths that may or may not be visible anymore.
2) The old "Fields": When you get to the park, printed old aerial maps in hand, think about the things you did as a kid. You played baseball, so focus on the areas where it's most likely that the "action" was. The baselines are perfect examples. You have money in your pocket, playing ball, and you're running the bases. Money does fall out. Next check the outfield. i've had a LOT of success in this area. Left and Center where the ball is often drilled a lot. After you've hunted the field, look around for any large trees. The older the better. Where did you put all your "stuff" before you took the field? When I was a kid we would place everything next to a tree near the field. Are there bleachers still there? Even if they're not, look at the map and imagine where they may've been. I've found a lot of older coins off to the sides of the First Base line and Third Base line. Spectators are careless = win.
3) Walk paths. Old cement ones are great! You're walking down the path, digging in your pocket for something, and out pops a quarter. Where does it roll? It hits the ground, bounces, or rolls off the path, but not far. Focus on the sides of these. I recently found 8 silver coins in one tiny stretch (My lucky Light Post section I call it) in a weekend, and all of the targets were within 2 feet from the path.
4) Old structures that are no longer there. Now, I'm sure this will be debatable, but I'm gonna express my opinion on how I've done around them. I've had less success working right over top of them, and have had great success working the outer perimeters. When they were there people hung-out around them, walking to and from them. Look at your old aerial maps and try to see where people would've been coming in and out of. It's worked well for me.
5) The Main entrances to the Park in general. Work the sidewalk strips. The area where people have been getting out of their cars and going into the park, and walking over these little grassy strips, have produced a lot of targets. Always have the mindset of where you would be if you were going to the park to BRBQ, or play. Those things haven't changed over the decades much, just the scenery in the area has.
6) Be respectful of the area you're hunting. If you find trash, take it with you or find a trashcan to put it in. You might not think it's bothering anyone being covered back up, but that's where you're wrong. Tomorrow you're gonna re-work all of these areas, and the hunt after that, and after that, and so on. Every time you remove a bad target, you unmask a good one under it. Always remember that. The cleaner the areas you hunt, the better your results can be.
7) I never hunt a field "In Season". If it's Baseball Season, stay off the fields. It will attract negativity to the hobby. People will assume you're just digging holes, and that their kids are gonna break an ankle in one of them. In the off season no one pays much attention. I steer clear of fields as much as possible when they're actively being used. Even a well replaced plug will discolor, and all you need is to anger ONE grounds keeper and the fun is over.
That's about it. I hope this helps if you're looking for it.
I've been concentrating my hunts to a nearby park. I've mentioned it many times in some of my other posts. The park is very historic, and there were a few things I've experienced that I wanted to share.
1) A little research goes a LONG way. Before you go to the place you plan to hunt, like a park for example, visit [THIS SITE] and view the area on an aerial photo. This site gives you the ability to see a current aerial map, and then simultaneously view one taken decades ago with the slider feature. Here you can look for old structures, Baseball fields, ponds (since kids LOVE to throw money into water), and walk paths that may or may not be visible anymore.
2) The old "Fields": When you get to the park, printed old aerial maps in hand, think about the things you did as a kid. You played baseball, so focus on the areas where it's most likely that the "action" was. The baselines are perfect examples. You have money in your pocket, playing ball, and you're running the bases. Money does fall out. Next check the outfield. i've had a LOT of success in this area. Left and Center where the ball is often drilled a lot. After you've hunted the field, look around for any large trees. The older the better. Where did you put all your "stuff" before you took the field? When I was a kid we would place everything next to a tree near the field. Are there bleachers still there? Even if they're not, look at the map and imagine where they may've been. I've found a lot of older coins off to the sides of the First Base line and Third Base line. Spectators are careless = win.
3) Walk paths. Old cement ones are great! You're walking down the path, digging in your pocket for something, and out pops a quarter. Where does it roll? It hits the ground, bounces, or rolls off the path, but not far. Focus on the sides of these. I recently found 8 silver coins in one tiny stretch (My lucky Light Post section I call it) in a weekend, and all of the targets were within 2 feet from the path.
4) Old structures that are no longer there. Now, I'm sure this will be debatable, but I'm gonna express my opinion on how I've done around them. I've had less success working right over top of them, and have had great success working the outer perimeters. When they were there people hung-out around them, walking to and from them. Look at your old aerial maps and try to see where people would've been coming in and out of. It's worked well for me.
5) The Main entrances to the Park in general. Work the sidewalk strips. The area where people have been getting out of their cars and going into the park, and walking over these little grassy strips, have produced a lot of targets. Always have the mindset of where you would be if you were going to the park to BRBQ, or play. Those things haven't changed over the decades much, just the scenery in the area has.
6) Be respectful of the area you're hunting. If you find trash, take it with you or find a trashcan to put it in. You might not think it's bothering anyone being covered back up, but that's where you're wrong. Tomorrow you're gonna re-work all of these areas, and the hunt after that, and after that, and so on. Every time you remove a bad target, you unmask a good one under it. Always remember that. The cleaner the areas you hunt, the better your results can be.
7) I never hunt a field "In Season". If it's Baseball Season, stay off the fields. It will attract negativity to the hobby. People will assume you're just digging holes, and that their kids are gonna break an ankle in one of them. In the off season no one pays much attention. I steer clear of fields as much as possible when they're actively being used. Even a well replaced plug will discolor, and all you need is to anger ONE grounds keeper and the fun is over.
That's about it. I hope this helps if you're looking for it.
some great info, hints and tips, both for the newer hunters and some good refreshers for the more seasoned ones. 
but I do have Monday off. 
